Will wood-burning cars make a comeback – and should they?

Back during World War 2, fuel shortages propelled some to seek alternate methods of fueling their vehicles, and many turned to wood. By 1945, there were around one million wood-burning cars, or cars running on woodgas, across Europe. The technology lost popular appeal after the war, but today, some in Sweden and Finland are trying to bring it back. But is this a good thing?

One notable adopter is North Korea, who had to get creative without much access to fossil fuels. Sadly that’s not much of an argument in favor of the vehicles. There’s also concern over the compounds emitted, namely carbon monoxide. In World War II-era Denmark, wood-burning cars resulted in one fourth of all deaths from monoxide.

While some may claim that technically it’s a renewable resource, one look at France’s experience with wood-burning cars casts doubt. During World War II, when the country turned to wood-burning cars, they suffered from “severe deforestation.” We’re all for alternatively-powered cars, but we’ll probably hold out for ones that leave as minimal impact on the environment as possible.